Field
Aspects of the example implementations pertain to the area of control systems, and more specifically to decentralized and/or hierarchical multiple-level control systems for a plurality of separately operable subsystems that each comprise an associated separately operable control system.
Overview
For purposes of summarizing, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features are described herein. Not all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment. Thus, the disclosed subject matter may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages without achieving all advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
An aspect pertains to the area of decentralized and/or hierarchical multiple-level control systems and to the structure, operation, design, and use of a plurality of subsystems having their own associated control system, wherein each subsystem can operate in isolation via its own internal control system, but when interconnected or networked with additional subsystems in the plurality, each subsystem in the resulting collection of subsystems will assume a respective role in a hierarchy.
In an aspect, a decentralized and/or hierarchical multiple-level control system comprises a plurality of subsystems, each with their own control system, that can operate in isolation and which can be interconnected or networked with additional subsystems associated with other hierarchical levels.
In other aspects, a decentralized and/or hierarchical multiple-level control system comprises a plurality of subsystems, each with their own control system, that can operate in isolation but when interconnected or networked with additional subsystems associated with other hierarchical levels, each subsystem will assume their respective role in the hierarchy with respect to (those) additional subsystems.
Provisions are included for subsystem control systems for model-based control, Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controllers, fractional order controllers, saturation compensators, hysteretic controllers, sliding mode controllers, and other approaches. The aspect further provides for dynamics within various subsystems to comprise or be structured as linear systems, bilinear systems, nonlinear systems, hysteretic systems, time-delay systems, fractional order systems, etc.
An example application includes, for example, hierarchical cooling and energy harvesting systems for data centers and other applications wherein various elements in the hierarchy can be introduced and/or removed arbitrarily, for example as taught in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/385,411, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Additional applications of the invention include networked high-reliability control systems, robotics systems, networked sensor systems, adaptive communications networks, high-reliability communications networks, and command-and-control applications.